


A Wish Your Heart Makes

by NewbSombrero



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: (mostly) Canon Compliant, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep Spoilers, Kingdom Hearts I Spoilers, Kingdom Hearts III Spoilers, Maybe Dream Drop Distance Spoilers, Multi, Spoilers - Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2019-11-09 09:28:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 9,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17999234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NewbSombrero/pseuds/NewbSombrero
Summary: Cinderella always dreamed of finding true love, but she never imagined she would find it in two people at once. Mostly set between moments of Birth by Sleep.





	1. Prologue

Once upon a time, in a world known as Castle of Dreams to those aware of the existence of multiple worlds, there lived a rich couple who loved their daughter with all their hearts, and the love of those two parents cultivated a pure and powerful light within their daughter’s heart. Even when the girl’s mother died and her father eventually remarried, she kept that light alive and strong. When her father died and her stepmother, a jealous woman, began to be cruel to the young girl and made her into a family servant, the young girl, who was called Cinderella by her stepmother and stepsisters, kept her light alive while dreaming of one day finding a love that would allow her light to shine as it had while her parents were living. When she heard that the Prince was having a ball to look for a wife, she hoped that at that ball she might find such a love. She didn’t know that love would come from such a distant place to find her, or just how plentiful that love would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What we've got here is just a little prologue to help me set the tone for this fic and feel like I'm committed to writing it and getting it out. I'll be shooting for regular chapter releases each Monday, and I hope y'all like the story I have planned for these two keyblade wielders and this Princess of Light.


	2. The Dream Dress

Cinderella was busy cleaning again. She always had a lot of time to think as she cleaned, and today her thoughts were primary occupied by two topics: the ball tonight and Jaq-jaq’s new friend Ven. She wasn’t sure where the funny new mouse had come from, but it always made her happy to see Jaq-jaq finding new friends. Hopefully, she would be able to make some friends of her own at the ball tonight if she could finish her chores in time to finish working on her dress. Unfortunately, Lucifer had made a mess of the whole entryway that she had just finished cleaning, so she wasn’t sure she would be able to.

***

When Cinderella did eventually finish cleaning, she rushed up to her room to add whatever finishing touches to her dress she actually could in the little time she had. She had no way to anticipate the surprise that awaited her there.

“Jaq! Ven! Did you two do this? It’s beautiful!”

Cinderella simply could not believe the way that the mice had decorated her dress. She would look amazing in it. She quickly put on the dress and ran downstairs to catch up with her stepmother and stepsister.

“Wait for me!” she shouted as she came down the stairs. “Don’t you think my dress is lovely?”

When Cinderella’s stepsisters saw her coming, they began protesting to their mother who quickly quieted them and approached Cinderella.

“That truly is a lovely outfit, Cinderella. And those beads really bring the look together, don’t you think so, Drizella?”

Drizella, still upset, took a moment to realize what her mother was insinuating, but when she caught on, she replied that those were her beads and went to snatch them away. Anastasia joined in taking back her sash, and the two sisters set to tearing apart Cinderella’s beautiful dress then left, vindicated.

As Cinderella found herself alone in the entryway, she ran out crying to the garden. She should have known better than to dream of going to the royal ball.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're going to be starting with some shorter chapters to help bring in the main characters.


	3. A Dream to Light the Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Terra arrives at Castle of Dreams, and he and Cinderella attend the ball.

After two worlds in a row where powerful sorceresses had tried to manipulate Terra into bringing them the hearts of pure light in their worlds, Terra wasn’t sure what to expect when he arrived at Castle of Dreams, but it certainly wasn’t a girl crying in a tattered pink dress.

“Is something wrong?”

***

As Terra spoke to Cinderella and her Fairy Godmother, he began to understand that Cinderella was likely another of the pure lights that Master Xehanort was looking for. He may have failed Aurora and ultimately done nothing for Snow White, he decided that he could be sure to protect Cinderella.

He ran after her to the palace and arrived just in time to save her from a group of Unversed that had attacked her, and from there, he escorted her into the ball. As he saw her joy at dancing with the prince, he felt a light burn brighter in his heart. Perhaps if he could protect the seven pure lights, well, the six whose hearts he hadn’t already taken from them, they could help drive the darkness from his heart. Maybe believing in his dream could be eno- Unversed!

Terra lept into action to dispatch the massive Unversed. The fight was difficult, but Terra managed to protect all bystanders from harm.

“Excuse me! Terra!”

Terra turned around to find Cinderella running from the prince over to him.

“You’ve saved me so many times tonight. Could I thank you with just one dance?”

Terra was taken aback at this request. “Um, I’ve never exactly danced before. I’m not sure I would make a very good dance partner. Maybe you should just enjoy your time with the prince.”

“Don’t be silly, Terra,” Cinderella pressed. “I’m sure you’ll do fine. Besides, I need to thank you somehow.”

Terra hesitated, but as the music started up, he found himself leading Cinderella out onto the dance floor. Dancing was somehow easier than he had expected. It almost felt like sparring with Aqua back home.

“You know, I also want to thank you for teaching me to stay strong. If you hadn’t helped me find the strength in my heart, I don’t think I would have made it to the ball tonight. Thank you.”

A moment passed as Terra and Cinderella danced in silence before Terra responded.

“I need to thank you too. You taught me how impor-” The clock struck twelve.

“Midnight!” the two dancers exclaimed in unison.

“Hurry home, Cinderella. I’ll give the prince some excuse about why you had to leave and encourage him to find you tomorrow.”

As Cinderella ran, the prince shouted after her, asking why she was leaving so soon. The viscount ran after her, and Terra rushed to quiet the prince’s fears. That accomplished, he rushed out of the ballroom and was shocked to see Aqua. As he came down the stairs to meet her, they discussed the things they had learned since they had last seen each other. The conversation reminded Terra that he had work bigger than this one world to return to. As Terra prepared to leave, he paused.

“Aqua, there’s this girl here named Cinderella. She helped me realize that now matter how impossible things may seem, a powerful enough dream will always light the darkness. If you see her, will you thank her for me? I didn’t get the chance before she had to leave the ball.”

“Will do.”

***

Cinderella ran. She ran as fast as she could, even when she lost one of her slippers on the stairs. It made her running awkward and uneven, but she made it to her carriage and they set off back home. Tears were streaming down her face as they drove home. She was so foolish and confused. She had gone to the ball to meet the prince, hoping that he would want to marry her, but instead she had left the ball torn between him and Terra, the man who had spent the whole night protecting her. She was caught up in these thoughts when suddenly the carriage shrunk and broke around her, leaving a husk of a pumpkin in the road. She and the animals with her rushed off the side of the rode as the riders that had been sent after her galloped by.

The small group made the walk back home, and between the tears in her eyes and the warring feelings in her heart, Cinderella didn’t even notice that Ven, the new little mouse who had helped make her now ruined dress, was not part of the group of mice with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Figuring out how to weave through Terra's story in Castle of Dreams while remaining mostly canon compliant without just feeling like a rehash of the cutscenes was a struggle, but I hope I did a decent job of hitting enough summary of those scenes to connect through to the moments I wanted to change and/or emphasize for this fic. Once we get through introducing Aqua next chapter though, the story will be entirely between moments from the game, and we'll be a little more free to explore what I'm trying to set up with these first few chapters. I hope you enjoy.


	4. A Dream Come True?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aqua helps Cinderella's dream come true as both of them get lost in their feelings.

“Aqua, there’s this girl here named Cinderella. She helped me realize that now matter how impossible things may seem, a powerful enough dream will always light the darkness. If you see her, will you thank her for me? I didn’t get the chance before she had to leave the ball.”

Upon hearing those words from Terra as he left, Aqua was sure that Terra would be able to resist the pull of darkness. The concerns that had filled her since she had completed the Mark of Mastery faded away as her heart was filled with light. For now, she could focus on learning more about what was going on in this world.

As Aqua entered the ballroom to talk to the prince like Terra had suggested, the prince initially mistook her for someone else, but then he was interrupted by the viscount who came to inform the prince that the glass slipper of the woman he had danced with had been recovered, a clue to help track this mysterious woman down. As Aqua heard about this, it seemed like a perfect lead.

***

When Aqua arrived at Lady Tremaine’s home, Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother warned her of how dangerous it can be to fight darkness with light since the two are complements. Aqua couldn’t make much sense of it. In any case, she shrank down with the help of Fairy Godmother’s magic to help Jaq free Cinderella so she could try on the slipper. 

Once she had escorted Jaq, she ran out to the entryway of the house and was caught by surprise when she grew back to full size and tumbled down from the railing where she stood. Upon landing she stalled for time until Cinderella could arrive. When Cinderella finally stepped into view at the top of the stairs, Aqua gasped. She hadn’t been prepared for Cinderella to be so gorgeous. As the maiden with a heart full of light descended the stairs amid protests from her stepmother, the keyblade master helped her down the last few steps, planting a kiss on Cinderella’s hand. Perhaps a bold step in such a moment, but then again, Aqua didn’t have much practice holding herself back around beautiful women since she mostly spent her time with men. Then she remembered where she was and who she was talking to.

“I want to thank you for teaching Terra to keep believing.”

With Terra’s thanks delivered, Aqua backed away before she could make a bigger fool of herself and watched as Cinderella proved her identity to the viscount. Then, after Cinderella and the viscount had set out toward the palace, Aqua heard a scream and went running.

As Aqua entered the clearing, she found Cinderella being attacked by a large Unversed. Immediately she leapt into action to protect Cinderella with her own body. As she helped Cinderella up, Aqua unconsciously found herself touching Cinderella’s butt. There was no time for anything like that! She told Cinderella to run and set about defeating the Unversed.

By the time Aqua arrived at the palace, Cinderella had already run to her prince, and Aqua felt like a fool for letting her emotions get ahead of her. She had barely left home for the first time after begging Master Eraqus for the opportunity for so long, and here she was catching feelings for the first kind-hearted woman she met. That didn’t seem fitting for a keyblade master. As Aqua found herself caught up in these thoughts, Fairy Godmother arrived.

“I don’t understand. If light isn’t the way to drive out darkness, then what is?”

“Oh dear,” replied Fairy Godmother, “you’re still too young to know. In time, you will find the answer if you trust in your dreams.”

***

As Cinderella began to spend most of her time with the prince over the next few days, she found herself struggling to keep up conversation with him like she had the night they had met and danced. It just seemed like they had exhausted all that the two of them shared. And it didn’t help that her mind kept going back to her two protectors from that night: Terra and Aqua. They both dressed so strangely and wielded such unusual weapons. Where had they come from? And where had they vanished to as suddenly as they had arrived? 

Cinderella felt wrong as her mind wandered. Being with the prince was, after all, a dream come true. It was supposed to be anyway. And yet, try as she might, Cinderella could hardly keep the unmemorable prince’s name in her memory. Since her stepmother and stepsisters had perished in the attack by that monster, she didn’t even have anyone to go home to. Besides, as distracting as the memory of Terra and Aqua was, there was no way Aqua could know where to find them anyway. Maybe she could be happy with the prince. Yes, she would commit herself to being happy with her prince. Maybe that could be enough for her dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, the wraps up the bit where I retell any of the story from the games. All future chapters with happen between worlds of gameplay. I can't wait to see what y'all think as we move along with the story.


	5. A Scattered Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Terra goes to visit Cinderella after his conversation with Master Xehanort in the Badlands. Both Terra and Cinderella struggle to work through their feelings.

Terra knew that he needed to get to Radiant Garden to deal with Vanitas, but as he left the Badlands where he had spoken with Master Xehanort, he felt like he needed an extra boost of light before he could handle that fight. He needed to go see Cinderella again. Yeah, he had asked Aqua to pass along his thanks, but he really wanted to thank her himself. And there was something about her light that helped him feel like he could shine brighter himself if he just tried.

When Terra arrived at Castle of Dreams, he started looking for Cinderella at the house where he had first met her, and he was surprised to find it completely vacant. Concerned by this, Terra decided to head to the palace where the ball had been held. Along the way, he also made sure to keep an eye out for Unversed, but he couldn’t find any. That was good at least.

When Terra told the guards who greeted him at the palace that he was looking for Cinderella, they escorted him to a side chamber where a moogle had set up shop and left him to wait. After a few minutes, one of the guards returned.

“The princess says she wants to know why you have returned before she comes to see you.”

“Can you just tell her that I came to thank her in person since I never got the chance before?”

The guard nodded and stepped out.

“So why did you really come back to this world, kupo? We’ve been seeing you around the worlds, and we know you got bigger problems to deal with than saying thanks in person.”

Terra was shocked to hear the moogle speak to him unprompted and about anything more personal than business. He started pacing for a moment before responding.

“Her heart is full of light, and I feel like I could use some more light myself for what I’m headed into. I don’t know why; I just felt like I needed to come back here.”

“Whatever you say, kupo. I guess it’s not really any of my business.”

Terra went back to pacing as the room fell silent once more. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he heard the door open again.

“Terra? I didn’t think I would see you again.”

Terra looked up to see Cinderella in a dress like the one she had worn to the ball.

“Well, like I was trying to say when midnight hit that night at the ball, I wanted to thank you for teaching me how important it is to believe in your dreams.”

“I know,” replied Cinderella. “Your friend Aqua told me.”

“Oh, good. I asked her to pass along my thanks, but I wasn’t actually sure that you two would meet each other.” Terra looked away for a moment. “I noticed that your house was empty. I tried looking for you there, but no one was home.”

“Yes. I’ve moved here, and my stepmother and stepsisters were taken by a monster, so the manor would be empty now.”

“Oh. Well I’m glad you’re safe.” Terra struggled to find words that wouldn’t make the situation more awkward so that he could at least stay a moment longer in Cinderella’s light. “Has the prince been treating you well?”

Cinderella seemed to pause before she answered. “He’s been absolutely wonderful, and I’m really just so happy. Thank you for helping me meet him. Now, I have a very busy day, and I think it would be best if you left for now and came back another time.”

“Of course. Take care of yourself.”

Terra ran out of the palace and then set out for Radiant Garden without noticing the tears that had started to fall.”

***

Cinderella shoved a throw pillow into her mouth, bit down, and screamed when Terra left.

“Why did he come back, Moglan? I had accepted that I wouldn’t see him again. I told myself that I could be happy with my prince. That was my dream after all! And then that man just had to walk back in here and make everything more confusing for me all over again.”

“I don’t know what to tell you, kupo.”

“And I shouldn’t expect you to,” Cinderella replied on her way to the door. “This is mine to figure out. Thank you for listening.”

Cinderella stepped out and began walking. As she left the palace, she informed the guard at the gate that she would be taking a walk back to her old manor and kept on walking. Tears were streaming down her face by the time she got to the bench by the fountain where she had first met Terra. She had hoped that if she came here again, her Fairy Godmother might appear to help her again, but nobody came.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No far off memories quite yet, but maybe that's just because Terra and Cinderella are having a hard time lining up their pieces. ;P Maybe Aqua will have better luck next week.


	6. Once Upon a Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls have a chat by the fountain and realize where their hearts are guiding them.

Aqua rushed back to Castle of Dreams as quickly as she could. Aurora was safe now, but there was no telling what may have happened to the other pure lights that Terra may have come in contact with so far, and there was one that Aqua knew for sure that Terra had met: Cinderella. Aqua was moving so quickly through the Lanes Between that when she arrived at the world beside the fountain outside Lady Tremaine’s manor, she fell and crashed right at the feet of a crying Cinderella.

“Oh, Aqua! You aren’t my Fairy Godmother!”

“No, I guess I’m not,” Aqua replied awkwardly. “Are you alright? You look like you’ve been crying. Have you seen Terra?”

At the mention of Terra’s name, Cinderella burst into tears again.

Aqua had no idea how to respond in this situation. Did that mean Terra had come back? What had he done to her?

“Umm, Cinderella, is something wrong?”

“I just don’t know what to do, Aqua! I’m just so confused about everything! When I met the Prince, I thought that was my dream coming true, but he really isn’t an interesting person to be around, and I don’t actually like him all that much, and then Terra came back to visit, and I felt all of the things that I thought I was supposed to for the Prince but don’t, and I don’t know what I’m doing.”

Aqua felt a little pain at hearing about Cinderella feeling things for Terra, though she wasn’t sure why. She moved onto the bench next to Cinderella.

“That sounds really hard. Is there anything that I can do to help?”

Cinderella looked up and wiped away her tears.

“What would you do if you were with someone but thought you should be with someone else?”

Cinderella looked directly into Aqua’s eyes, and Aqua looked away at the ground at their feet to think.

“Where I come from, there’s something that we tell each other when we say goodbye: may your heart be your guiding key.” Aqua looked back into Cinderella’s eyes and continued through the building pain in her own heart. “I think you should follow what your heart tells you.”

Cinderella averted her eyes for a moment and then looked back at Aqua.

“Do you really think that’s a good idea? I mean, I don’t even know if Terra will come back here again.”

Aqua shrugged.

“I don’t really know. It just a thing we say where I’m from, and it felt right.”

“I suppose that’s fair. Do you think I’ll see you again, Aqua?”

“I sure hope so, but I do need to get going now. Stay safe while I’m gone.”

“Don’t worry, I will.”

The two women stood up from the bench and Aqua began to walk away.

“Oh, and Aqua, may your heart be your guiding key.”

Aqua nodded and ran off to find a safe place to enter the Lanes Between. A tear rolled down her cheek within her armor.

“I want to, Cinderella, but it looks like our hearts are pointed in different directions.”

***

May your heart be your guiding key. Cinderella mulled the words over in her mind after Aqua left. The more she thought about it, the more certain she was that she didn’t love the Prince. She still wasn’t sure she loved anyone, not in that way, but the idea began to form in her heart that the person she loved would be one of her two guardians who had protected her the night of the ball, not that prince. So she started planning. She would move out of the palace and find work as a maid for some rich family or another. She really didn’t like wearing these fancy clothes every day anyway. She could build her own life and wait for Terra and Aqua to return. Then she would see where her heart would lead her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angsty Aqua and resolute Cinderella feels like a good note to end this chapter on and carry us into Radiant Garden. Next week we'll see how Terra deals with things after Radiant Garden. Until then, may your heart be your guiding key.


	7. Dreams of Light and Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Terra comes looking for another boost, and Cinderella takes action.

Once again, trying to talk to Master Xehanort about fighting back the darkness only left Terra more confused, so after bidding Ventus farewell, he flew to the one place where he never felt troubled by darkness, Castle of Dreams. Sure, things had been a little awkward last time he had seen Cinderella, but maybe he could find out why and make things better.

Terra landed in Castle of Dreams and approached the palace. When he asked for Cinderella, the guard told him that she had moved back out of the palace and into the old Tremaine manor. That was strange. Wasn’t Cinderella living her dream with the prince in the palace? Terra made his way back to Tremaine manor to investigate and saw someone approaching the manor at the same time as him.

“Cinderella,” he called out. 

“Oh, Terra, you’re back! I didn’t know when I would see you again. Come in!”

Terra had never actually entered the manor before, and he was amazed by the scale of the entryway as he walked in. It didn’t seem like it would be so large when viewed from the outside. Cinderella motioned for him to sit on the couch beside her.

“I’m so glad you came, Terra. I wanted to apologize for being so distant the last time you visited me. I was just trying to figure so many things out at the time, and I didn’t want to push them onto you, but I think that’s what I ended up doing anyway. I am truly sorry.”

Terra wasn’t sure what to say to that. If he was being honest with himself, he wasn’t even sure what he had hoped to say to her in the first place. 

“Umm, thank you. After last time, I wasn’t sure if you would want to see me again after last time, but I wanted to see you again, so I hoped that it would be alright.”

***

Cinderella couldn’t believe that she had bombarded Terra with so much at once so quickly after welcoming him into her home. She chastised herself for being so selfish.

“Oh? Why did you want to see me? Is everything alright?”

“I’ve just been so confused lately, especially after I talk to my teacher, but I don’t feel that way when I’m with you, so I just wanted to see you.”

Terra’s face turned the same shade of red as the straps across his chest as he said this. 

“Well I’m always happy to see you, Terra, any time you want to stop by.”

The two continued talking for some time, and as Cinderella finally watched him get up to leave, she remembered what Aqua had told her.

“Oh, Terra, may your heart be your guiding key.”

Terra looked surprised to hear Cinderella say this, but he nodded and turned to walk out of the door. Cinderella hoped she hadn’t offended him somehow by saying that, but she was sure he would be back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cinderella sees what she wants and she's going for it!


	8. Truth Sought in Dreams

After her fight with the boy in the mask, Aqua was worried about the Princesses of Light, so she ran to check on the ones that she knew about. She peeked in on Aurora and Snow White without stopping to make conversation, but at this point, Cinderella was her friend, so there was no point in not making a proper visit of it, right? 

Aqua approached the front door of the manor and knocked. When the door opened and Cinderella appeared, Aqua’s heart leapt. She would have to keep that down since this was just supposed to be a friendly visit. 

“Oh, Aqua! I was hoping I would see you again soon!”

Cinderella opened the door wide and signalled for Aqua to come in. Aqua was surprised at how confident Cinderella seemed. Certainly much more so than any other time she had seen her. She had a casual grace about her as she walked over to the couch and took a seat. She was beautiful. And her laugh took Aqua totally by surprise.

“Why are you still standing in the middle of the room, silly? Have a seat. Please.”

Aqua sheepishly moved over to the chair where Cinderella had once tried on the glass slipper and quietly berated herself for fawning like that.

“So you said you were hoping to see me?”

“Yes! I’ve been thinking about what you said to me last time.”

***

Cinderella was so nervous but she hoped it didn’t show. Aqua was so pretty and right here, and Cinderella couldn’t believe she was back here. Anyway.

“You know, about letting my heart be my guiding key.”

“Oh yeah, how is that going for you?”

Cinderella felt herself blush, though she wasn’t sure why.

“I suppose I’m still working on that. That’s part of what I wanted to talk to you about.”

The room fell silent for a moment and Cinderella wished she could tell what Aqua was thinking. Did all of this really have to be so confusing.

“Oh, what do you mean?”

And now it was Cinderella’s turn to get quiet as she tried to figure out how to respond.

“Well, you see, I feel like my heart is pulling me towards multiple people right now, and I don’t know what to do about that. How can I follow my heart in multiple directions.”

“Oh, umm, well, I don’t see anything wrong with that. If you love more than one person, that’s alright. It seems to me like you have a lot of love to give, and maybe you just need to share it.”

What was that look on Aqua’s face as she said those things? Did she even realize that she was in the same chair Cinderella had sat in that day they met? What was Aqua thinking behind those words.

“I suppose that’s one way of looking at things. I hadn’t thought about it that way so far. Maybe I need to think about this some more. Oh, I’m so silly! Why did you come to visit? Was there something you wanted to talk to me about?”

Aqua sighed.

“I just wanted to see how you were doing. That’s what friends do, right?”

Why did it hurt to hear Aqua call Cinderella her friend? 

“That’s so kind. I’m doing well, and you’re always more than welcome to stop by any time you want. Think of my home as your own home.”

“That’s so kind of you. Unfortunately, I do need to get going now, but I’ll make sure to come back soon.”

“May your heart be your guiding key, Aqua.”

“Same to you.”

Cinderella felt so foolish as she just sat there and watched Aqua leave. Shouldn’t she be doing or saying something else to Aqua before she left? It would have to wait until next time since the door was already closing behind Aqua. Two guardians, and they both had keys to her heart. This was going to take a while for Cinderella to figure out.


	9. Uncertain Dreaming

Terra felt...confident, like he could be what Zach saw in him, as he left Olympus Coliseum. He knew exactly who he had to tell. Before he knew it, he was moving toward Castle of Dreams and getting ready to land outside Cinderella’s manor. There was a grin on his face as he moved to knock on the door. That smile was answered by a match when Cinderella opened the door and saw who was there.

“Oh, Terra! I’m so happy you came back!”

Before Terra could reply, he was being ushered in the door and told to make himself comfortable. By the time he sat down on the couch, Cinderella was back in the room with glasses of water for each of them. 

“It’s good to see you again too, Cinderella.” Was that a laugh in his voice?

Cinderella sat down next to Terra and handed him one of the glasses of water. There was a look in her eyes that Terra couldn’t read.

“I know it’s mainly just been when I’ve been upset that I’ve come to visit you, but this time I wanted to see you because I was feeling really good for once. I feel like for once I’m doing something right, and I thought of what you said as I was leaving last time. My heart lead me here.” 

Terra’s cheeks were starting to hurt from how much he was smiling. What was happening?

“I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. Wouldn’t you please tell me about it?”

***

Cinderella could hardly believe the story Terra was telling her. He must have travelled far because she had never heard of any Coliseum or Games. What was even more unbelievable was how bright Terra seemed, and Cinderella felt more certain than ever about where her heart was guiding her.

“That is such an amazing story, Terra. I had no idea that there was so much to do and see in the world. I’m glad that you were able to do so well.” 

Why did it have to be so hard to find a way to transition into what she wanted to tell him?

“Thanks. What’s new for you? I feel like we’ve been talking about me this whole time.”

And there was her opening.

“Well, since you left last time, your friend Aqua came by again, and she got me thinking.” Terra seemed intent, and Cinderella wished she could read his mind. “Anyway, so like I said when we were talking last time, I realized that I didn’t love the prince and that’s why I moved back here. I don’t know if I’ve found someone that I do love, but I’ve found a couple of people that maybe I could, and they are you and Aqua. I was hoping that I could keep spending more time with you to see if maybe…”

Before Cinderella could finish her sentence, Terra was halfway to the door.

“I’m so sorry. I have to go. I’m so so sorry.”

He was out the door before she could even move from the couch. She stared blankly at his half empty glass of water on the coffee table as she cursed herself for being so forward. Why had she thought it would be any good for her to say anything like that? And why was she suddenly the one sitting with no trace of the one who had left but a glass?

***

Terra ran out into the woods and set off into the Lanes Between. What had she meant by that? Why did he run when he heard it? What had Aqua said to Cinderella? And what were all those Unversed doing here in the Lanes Between?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little more angst for now. We'll have to wait until next week to see if Aqua handles things any better than Terra.


	10. A Dream Date

Few things annoyed Aqua more than being hit on by men, and Phil and Zack were no exception. Even so, maybe it was thanks to Zack that she knew exactly what she had to do as she left Olympus Coliseum. Her heart pointed in one direction, and it was back to Cinderella.

Aqua’s heart was racing as she touched down in Castle of Dreams and approached Cinderella’s manor. Sure, Cinderella had talked last time about feeling like her heart was guiding her to more than one person, but surely she meant Terra and the prince. Aqua was foolish for thinking that she could…

Aqua realized that she had been standing in front of the manor about to knock when the door opened. 

“I saw you coming out the window and wondered if you were ever actually going to knock.”

Aqua’s face burned. There was no turning back now.

“Oh, hey, Cinderella. Yeah, I wanted to see you again, but I got nervous, so that’s why it took me so long to knock, but I was definitely going to knock.” Aqua struggled to make eye contact with Cinderella, but she couldn’t find the courage to.

“Why would you be nervous, Aqua? You know that you’re always welcome here.”

Aqua hoped that Cinderella couldn’t see how she was shaking. 

“Well, I was going to ask you a question.”

“Well then why don’t you come in and ask me?”

Aqua stood on the doorstep for a moment as she processed what Cinderella had just said. When she finally gathered herself, she stepped into the house and finally looked at Cinderella. The princess was practically glowing with the pure light within her heart, and Aqua mustered up her courage.

“Well I was wondering, would you like to go on a date with me?”

Before Aqua knew what was happening, Cinderella had swept her up in a tight hug.

“I would love to, Aqua.”

***

Cinderella was overwhelmed with joy. Aqua had asked her on a date! Some part of Cinderella’s subconscious took control as Cinderella screamed for joy within her mind. In that moment, the feelings that had been building suddenly snapped into focus and actually made sense for once. Of course her heart had been guiding her to Aqua, the woman who had saved her life that night, the woman who had comforted her and given her such wonderful advice. The woman to whom she had just suggested that they leave for the date right now!? Oh no, what had she done? What was she thinking? Why were they leaving the house? Where were they going?

***

Aqua hadn’t expected Cinderella to be so enthusiastic about the date, but before she knew it, she was being ushered out of the house and into town. Aqua could hardly believe this was actually happening. She was actually on a date with Cinderella. She wasn’t sure where exactly they were going, but that didn’t matter nearly as much as the fact that she was going there with Cinderella, the princess of her heart.

***

Cinderella gathered her thoughts as she lead Aqua into town. She had never been on a real date before (aside from the ball, but who wanted to think about that when she was here with her guardian), so she wasn’t sure what she was doing taking the lead like this. Even so, Cinderella led Aqua to some of her favorite shops in town, and they ended up at a restaurant where they grabbed a bite to eat. 

***

Aqua got less nervous as time passed. She was sharing a meal with Cinderella, and the two women were speaking animatedly between bites and stealing glances at each other as they chewed. Aqua still couldn’t believe this was really happening. It seemed too good to be true. Before she knew it, they were walking through town again, this time back toward the manor, toward the garden where she had first told Cinderella to let her heart be her guiding key.

***

This garden, this bench, had become special to Cinderella, so she found her way there without thinking. There was no other place to end the date. The two women were holding hands as they sat down on the bench beside the fountain. 

“Thank you for asking me on that date, Aqua. I’ve been having a really good time today.”

Cinderella was too nervous to make eye contact, but she gently caressed Aqua’s hand in her own. When she finally looked up, Aqua was staring at their intertwined fingers. Cinderella felt like she could just…

Aqua interrupted Cinderella’s thought, “could I give you a kiss?”

Finding herself at a loss for words, Cinderella just nodded, overwhelmed by the fact that Aqua had been thinking the same thing as her. She felt Aqua let go of her hand and move to caress her face for a moment before placing a soft, delicate kiss on Cinderella’s lips. The princess’s heart shone brighter than it ever had before in the shelter of her guardian’s tenderness.

***

No magic that Aqua had ever studied could compare to this moment, just a second really, of Cinderella’s lips upon her own as she craved to stay in that moment of bliss an never pull away, but the kiss was short-lived. There would be time for other kisses in the future. For now she simply held Cinderella’s face in her hands.

“Thank you for saying yes. To the date, and to the kiss.” 

Aqua’s gaze dropped as her hands fell to a more comfortable position. She didn’t notice herself grabbing the princess’s hand, but sure enough they were holding hands again.

“Of course, Aqua. I’m honestly still nervous to say this, but you’re one of the people I feel like my heart has been guiding me to. Of course I wanted to go on a date with you. In fact, I would like to go on more in the future, if you want.” 

***

Cinderella couldn’t believe what she had just said. When had she gotten so bold? Cinderella forgot her nervousness when Aqua looked into her eyes. 

“Of course I want to go on more dates with you. You’re amazing.” 

Aqua moved in for another kiss, and Cinderella’s heart fluttered as their lips pressed into each other once more. After the kiss, they pressed their foreheads together.

“I like it when you kiss me like that, Aqua.” Barely a whisper.

“I really like kissing you like that, Cinderella.” Just as quiet.

The two sat like that for a long moment. Then Aqua bolted up.

“Oh, Cinderella. I really want to stay, but I have to go. There’s still so much I have to do, but I promise that I’ll come back to you as soon as I can.” 

Cinderella wrapped Aqua in a tight hug before she could stand up to leave. 

“How can I know you’ll be back?”

Cinderella felt Aqua’s arms around her in answer.

“Haven’t I kept on coming back so far? You can bet that I’ll definitely be back now that I actually know you like me back.” Aqua backed out of the hug enough to look into Cinderella’s eyes. “You do like me back in that way, right?”

Cinderella nodded. 

“Don’t be too long. Don’t make me miss you too much.”

“Of course not. I’ll be back really soon. And while I’m gone, don’t think I’ve forgotten what you said about your heart guiding you in more than one direction. Keep letting your heart be your guiding key. I know you have a lot more love to give than you can just give me.” 

Cinderella squeezed Aqua tighter one more time before letting her go. 

“Same to you, Aqua. May your heart be your guiding key.” 

Tears began to well up in Cinderella’s eyes as she watched Aqua leave, but she comforted herself knowing that her guardian would return to her soon.


	11. A Treasured Dream

As Terra left Neverland, he realized who his treasure was. Before he knew it, he was back in Castle of Dreams knocking on Cinderella’s door. 

The door opened a crack.

“Oh, so you came back. I thought I scared you off last time.” 

Terra was taken aback at that greeting.

“I… I’m sorry for running off like that last time. I just didn’t know how to respond to what you were saying, and I got scared. I’d like to make it up to you if I can. Can I come in?”

Cinderella opened the door wider and motioned for Terra to come in, but she definitely seemed more apprehensive than she had been the last time he had come. Not quite as beamingly enthusiastic. Nervous? Maybe that last one was just Terra projecting. He hadn’t realized how fast his heart was beating until he sat on one end of the couch. And there was Cinderella sitting all the way at the other end.

“So why did you come back now after running away like that then?” Cinderella sounded hurt, and Terra hated himself for making her feel that way.

“Well, I made some new friends recently, and they made me think about what I treasure, and I realized that I really don’t treasure things as much as I treasure people. There’s my friends, Aqua and Ven…” 

Terra paused when he saw Cinderella perk up.

“Did you say Ven? I think I met him that same night that I met you and Aqua! But that can’t be right. He was small like a mouse, so I doubt that’s who you’re talking about, but I haven’t seen him since then, so I’ve been worried about him.” Cinderella stopped and looked a bit embarrassed. “I’m sorry for interrupting. Please continue.” 

“Um, well, then there’s you. You are someone that I treasure, and I don’t mean that in the same way that I mean that about Aqua and Ven (who is kind of small, so that might have been him). Anyway, realizing that I treasure you in that way made me think of what you said last time, so I knew I had to come back and tell you that I think I feel the same way.” 

***

The silence hung thick in the air between Cinderella and Terra. Cinderella had never seen Terra’s face that shade of red before. She really hadn’t been expecting this after the way he had run off last time when she told him she wanted to spend more time with him. She thought she had scared him off and that he wouldn’t be coming back to see her again. But here he was, and she still felt her heart pointing to him just like it pointed to Aqua, the one who had encouraged her to follow that guidance in as many directions as it might lead her.

“Please stay with me a little while. Please don’t run away like that again. That’s all I ask. I know I can’t ask you to always be here because you have your own journeys to go on, but please make sure to come back and tell me about them.” 

Terra nodded. “Of course. Anything for you, my princess.” 

And so the two sat talking for a while until Terra said something about needing to go. There was one last thing he needed to do. But before he could stand up, Cinderella, who had moved closer to him during their conversation, leaned over and kissed his cheek; his face turned that same bright red as earlier.

“Go, Terra. And let your heart be you guiding key, especially when it points you back to me.” 

Terra nodded and gave Cinderella a hug and a kiss on the forehead before leaving. Cinderella sat with the memory of that feeling for as long as she could after he left, but she had her own chores to attend to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the delay on this chapter. Over the last couple of weeks, I've been struggling to make sense of my irl love life and dreading what comes in the last few chapters after this (because this is a between scenes BBS fic, and I hate to say it, but we aren't changing the ending here), and those two things made writing this Terra/Cinderella fluff hard. Buckle up, because things are about to get bumpy and angsty between here and the epilogue. Don't say I didn't warn you.


	12. A Dream Unbroken

When Cinderella got home from cleaning other people’s houses the next day, she was surprised to see someone sitting on the steps to the house, slumped against the railing.

“Aqua? Are you alright?”

Aqua looked up, and Cinderella had never seen her look so tired. Cinderella came forward and rested her hand on Aqua’s shoulder.

“Come on, my key, let’s get you inside.” 

Aqua nodded and got up. Were those tears in her eyes? Cinderella led her into the house and sat her down on the couch. 

“Would you like me to get you some water?”

Aqua nodded wordlessly once more. What had happened to make her act this way? 

When Cinderella had returned with a glass of water, she sat down on the couch next to Aqua. Rather than taking the glass, Aqua just broke down crying into Cinderella’s shoulder. Cinderella sheepishly set down the glass and wrapped Aqua in a hug. 

“I don’t know what’s going to happen, Cinderella. I just don’t know. I’m worried about Terra and Ven, and I don’t know what’s going to happen to us. That boy in the mask is so powerful, and I don’t know what he and Master Xehanort are trying to accomplish, but it scares me. How can I let myself be this scared when I’m the one who earned the rank of Master and have to be strong to take care of Terra and Ven?” The words came muffled as Aqua continued to bury her face in Cinderella’s shoulder.

Cinderella squeezed Aqua tight and then held her back so she could look into the woman’s eyes. She sounded broken, but there was still a powerful strength in those eyes.

“Listen, Aqua. I don’t know everything that’s happening right now, but I know you. I’ve seen what you do, and you take care of the people that you love. I know that seems hard right now, but I know that’s your dream, and I haven’t stopped believing that dreams really do come true. If anything, I believe it more now than I did that night you saved me from that monster. Whatever it is that you need to do, I know that you can do it.”

Cinderella pulled Aqua in close again for another hug and gently kissed the top of her head. Aqua’s arms around Cinderella became firm, holding tight as thought Aqua were finding stability in holding Cinderella. The two sat there holding each other tightly like that for several moments.

“Thank you, Cinderella.” 

Those quiet words broke the silence and were followed with a kiss. A quiet, gentle kiss that told Cinderella everything she needed to know in that moment. Her guardian had found her strength once more. Hopefully that would be enough.

***

Aqua suddenly couldn’t see why her fight with Vanitas in Neverland had shaken her so badly. She would be able to handle what was coming for sure. She felt especially sure of that as she clung to Cinderella’s pure light and kissed her once more. 

“I’m glad that our hearts pointed us to each other, Aqua. I really am.”

Aqua’s heart swelled as she heard this. How could this one woman who knew nothing of fighting or magic or the dangers of darkness make her feel so safe? She was suddenly overcome with feeling as she became hyper aware of Cinderella’s touch on her arms and back. This was so different than anything Aqua had experienced before and so very amazing. She clung to Cinderella and hoped that she would never have to let her go again, but she also knew that there were things she needed to do to make that possible.

“Thank you, Cinderella. I love you so much. I promise that I’ll be back soon, but I do need to go take care of this.”

Cinderella nodded. 

“I know, and I love you too. Now go, and always let your heart lead you back to me.”

Cinderella gave Aqua one last kiss, and Aqua stood to leave, even as her body screamed at her to stay. As she left Cinderella’s light and entered the Lanes Between, Aqua felt herself being drawn to another, unfamiliar light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, y'all. Our keyblade wielders are headed to Destiny Islands and the Keyblade Graveyard. This is BBS, so we know exactly where this is going. I hope y'all are ready for what that means for the last two chapters because I'm sure not. But don't worry; we are going to have the epilogue to help bring us home. Until next week, may your heart be your guiding key!


	13. A Dream to Set this Right

Terra put on his armor, but it didn’t help. He felt his heart being bound within his own body. No! He couldn’t let Xehanort do this to him. He had to save his friends. He had to get back to Cinderella like he had promised. He had to fight back! He mustered his last lingering shreds of will into the armor that had fallen around his body. He had to fight and get his body back, but there was nothing he could do, no matter how he tried to beat his body into submission.

“Aqua, Ven… One day I will set this right.”

***

For the first few weeks, Cinderella was sure that her guardians would come back to her. Something was just delaying them, but they would definitely come back to her. During the following months, she would cry herself to sleep, wondering what could have happened to them. As the years wore on, her heart began to heal and she accepted the fact that they would not be coming back. Then monsters came again.

These monsters were different from the ones that Cinderella’s guardians had protected her from that night ten years ago, but they also reeked of darkness, just like those other ones had, and the memories in Cinderella’s heart rushed to the surface as she called out for help.

“Terra! Aqua! Please save me!”

“Foolish princess, those two have long fallen to darkness, but don’t you worry. I’ll take care of you.”

Cinderella turned to see a tall slender woman in a black robe carrying a staff topped with a green orb. A black bird came and landed on her shoulder. The stench of darkness was so thick on her that Cinderella could even smell it over the darkness of the monsters around her.

“I don’t know who you are, but you certainly aren’t my Fairy Godmother. I don’t trust you.”

With a flash of light, Cinderella heard the words “Bippity boppity boo!” as her Fairy Godmother appeared and pushed back the woman in black with a burst of magic. She then looked back to Cinderella with a kind, familiar expression on her face.

“Don’t lose heart, dear. I know that things seem dark just now, but they are always darkest before the dawn. The light wi-”

Cinderella screamed as she saw her Fairy Godmother disappear in a gout of green flames. The woman in black once again stood before her in front of a dark portal that had opened in the air.

“Come quickly now, child. This world is falling to darkness, and we wouldn’t want you to fall with it.” 

Cinderella tried to run, but she quickly felt herself being lifted from behind and dragged through the portal.

***

Terra could not tell how much time had passed, but he knew that he and Xehanort were no longer in his body. They had drifted without a body for so long, but they were now entering an even younger body. The heart they were overpowering seemed familiar to Terra, but he was too busy refusing to give up in his struggle with Xehanort to give that familiarity much thought. Then the proximity of a familiar light caught his full attention, and with that distraction, he lost what little control he still had over himself.

“Cinderella! One day I will set this right.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, we're going there! I was literally crying as I wrote this chapter. Next week we see how Aqua is dealing with all of this and then we move on to the epilogue the week after. Until then, may your heart be your guiding key.


	14. Sleepless Dreams of Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aqua wanders through the Realm of Darkness, and Cinderella does what she can to help a new keyblade wielder.

There is no time in the Realm of Darkness. Of all the things that weighed on Aqua’s mind, that was at the forefront. Everything was wrong, and there was nothing she could do about it but keep walking and using Master Eraqus’s keyblade to defend herself for as long as possible without any concept of how time was passing in the Realm of Light. How long had it been since Terra’s body had made it back, since she had told Cinderella she would be back soon? Days? Weeks? Years? She had no way of knowing, but when she saw a familiar structure ahead in the distance, she gasped.

“Why is Cinderella’s world here in the darkness?”

As Aqua wandered the empty streets that had bustled with activity when she walked them with Cinderella, her heart stirred in a way that she hadn’t felt in… so long. Where were the people if they weren’t here? Were they safe somewhere? Was Cinderella safe somewhere? Aqua could only fight her way through the Dark World and hope.

***

When Cinderella woke up, she was in an unfamiliar castle. A castle filled with darkness. She looked around the hall she found herself in and saw five other women waking up. She could tell that their hearts were also full of pure light like her own. Then she saw him, Ansem. She didn’t know where she had heard the name, or how she knew it, but she suspected that she had heard it as her heart was sleeping. A part of her heart called out to him as he disappeared through a dark portal with a sinister grin on his face, though she could not tell what it was about him that made her feel that pull. There was no time for that though.

“Have any of the rest of you seen anyone with a keyblade?”

***

Aqua had turned back the clock and made her way to the castle for nothing. There was still no one in this desolate place, and she knew there was no actual way for her to turn back time and erase her mistakes. The only direction she could meaningfully move was forward. She could only hope that wherever Cinderella was, she was safe.

***

The Princesses of Heart gathered in a chamber where the concentration of darkness was strongest. Kairi had left, and Belle was waiting for her Beast in the library. That left five of them to hold back the darkness. Aurora had been the first to figure out how they could unlock the power of their hearts, and now the five were working to buy time for that keyblade wielder. A part of Cinderella’s heart broke when he finally arrived. He was so innocent, but he had an earnestness that reminded her of Terra and at moments he could be as forceful as Aqua. A boy his age shouldn’t have to bear such burdens, but Cinderella believed that he could do it. 

As Sora pressed on, Cinderella noticed a familiar feeling in the darkness the Princesses were working together to hold back. Was that why her heart had called out before? 

Cinderella shed a single tear as she remembered the loves that had been lost to her ten years ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry for this, y'all. When I first started writing this fic back in chapter one, I wasn't thinking about where keeping it mostly canon compliant would take it. Next week, we'll pick up with the epilogue set after KH3. (And yes, that does mean that if you don't count the prologue or epilogue, this has 13 chapters.) Until then, may your heart be your guiding key.


	15. Epilogue

When Cinderella had seen the keyblade again, she had hoped that meant there was a chance she could see her guardians again, but that was three years ago. After the ten years before that, Cinderella had quickly shut down that hope. She knew better than that. But still, there were mornings when she woke up in tears because Terra and Aqua had both been with her in her dreams. Once upon a time, she had believed that dreams could come true. 

Then, one day as she was cleaning up her own house rather than someone else’s for once, there was a knock at her door. She apprehensively rose from the floor to approach the door. It had better not be Lady Fontaine coming to complain again. She inched the door open to peak out and see.

“Cinderella? Are you there?”

Cinderella recognized Aqua’s voice immediately and flung the door wide to see not just Aqua, but Terra too. They were standing at her door beaming at her. She couldn’t hold herself back and flung her arms around both of them together, burying her face between them. She felt Terra’s chest vibrate against her cheek as he began to speak.

“We both promised you we’d come back, didn’t we? Well, we came back as soon as we could.”

When Cinderella heard Terra say this, she got up on her tiptoes, put her hands on either side of Terra’s face, and guided him down for a kiss. Then she moved to kiss Aqua as well. During both kisses, she felt her own lips curling up to match the smiles on each of her guardians’ faces. 

“Well don’t just stand here on the steps you two; come in and tell me about everything I missed. I’ve missed you both so much.”

***

When they had finished telling their stories, Aqua couldn’t believe how much longer the years of darkness had been for Terra than for her. She also couldn’t believe how big Terra was smiling as he looked at Cinderella. His smile when he held Ven and Aqua had been unprecedented for him, but this made it look like a frown in comparison. 

“Both of you have been through so much! I can’t even imagine how difficult that must have been for both of you.”

Aqua saw a tear fall down Cinderella’s cheek as she took Terra and Aqua’s hands each in one of her own hands. 

“I thought for sure you would come to save me when Maleficent took me to Hollow Bastion, but I understand now why you weren’t able to.”

Aqua wrapped her arms around Cinderella.

“We’re here now, Cinderella, and that’s not going to change.”

Cinderella leaned into the hug. Aqua held her as the tears fell.

***

Terra didn’t know how to help Cinderella stop crying, but he didn’t have to. After a couple of minutes, she was wiping away her tears and moving from where Aqua held her to lay back against his chest. She had her ankles wrapped around Aqua’s calf. Terra wrapped his arms around Cinderella and looked to Aqua, hoping that she could somehow help him know what to do. She just returned a shrug so small that he wouldn’t have recognized it if it hadn’t been for the years the two of them had known each other. In the end, Terra just leaned down his head and whispered in Cinderella’s ear.

“Throughout all those years, you never stopped lighting my way back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there it is. This was my first attempt at an extended fic. I may come back to this throuple at some point when I feel like I've grown a bit more as a writer, but for now, I hope y'all have enjoyed this little adventure.


End file.
